Verse 1. “And God blessed Noah and his
sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’”
Almighty God now spoke to “Noah and his sons,” Shem, Ham
and Japheth. Notice that God spoke to all of the men, not just Noah himself.
This message was not an “impression” on Noah’s heart, it was the Word of God,
issued externally in utterances that all could hear. Womankind, represented by the
first woman named Eve, had taken the leadership role over men, as we see in
Genesis 3:6 and its context. As a result, God’s judgment was that men would
“rule” within the family. Men are typically not
very good at such leadership, and it is intended that they would and will look
to God and let HIM express God's love through the ordinary husbands of this
world. And so the Lord spoke to the men of this family group, giving them
direction. Men are to recognize their weakness so that God might be
expressed through them in the institution we call the family.
God now begins to repeat, in the presence of them all,
the commands that had previously been given to mankind. The first of them is in
this verse: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” Those words had been
given before on a number of occasions, as seen in places like Genesis 1:28. All eight of these surviving
humans very likely were discouraged as they viewed the carnage that had swept
the earth. They might have given up emotionally and if they did, humanity would not survive. God
encouraged them by reinforcing His stated will for all humanity. They needn’t
be
discouraged for He was with them and would show them not only how they should live,
but also what they should do.
Verse 2. “The fear of you and the terror
of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with
everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your
hand they are given.”
As the multitude of creatures left the Ark, fear may
well have filled at least some of those in humanity who watched from the rail of
the great ship. There were so many animals in the exodus which continued
hour-after-hour for days, and the people of humanity were very few. The climate
was much colder. Survival did not seem as certain as it did in the years before
the Great Flood. They had heard the growls and roars uttered from deep in the
ark during the year of the Flood and they undoubtedly were afraid.
“Don’t be afraid,” they were being told. Also, the types of abundant fruits and vegetables that
existed before the flood were largely gone. What would they eat? How would they
live?
In this verse God was telling them that they didn’t need
to unnecessarily fear the animal kingdom. On the contrary, God was placing a “fear” of mankind
into the hearts and minds of animals everywhere. It would be a “terror” produced
in them by God Himself. Individual animals in history and in the world today
have certainly attacked people, but it is more often that the animals have been attacked,
exterminated in many cases and in others, nearly wiped out by those in humanity. There is more to this, as we shall see
in the verses that follow. God would enable these eight people and their
descendents to be masters over "every beast of the earth."
Verse 3. “Every moving thing that is
alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.”
Prior to the Great Flood, men and women everywhere were
vegetarians. God’s will had been clearly stated, as reflected in places like
Genesis 1:29, that “every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the
earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.”
Meat was excluded, though violations of God's commands have always occurred. And
even though humanity fell from God’s grace, the command still stood until the
moment of this verse in Genesis 9. Humanity was originally intended to be a race of
vegetarians. Anyone who ate meat would have become a social outcast and
possibly their lives could have been at risk because of the outrage of their
peers.
But now everything was changed. At least thousands of
types of edible vegetation, including fruits and vegetables, did not survive the
Flood. The types of vegetation that did survive the Flood in the form of seeds
and seedlings on floating debris were growing again, but the food supply was greatly reduced.
Many, perhaps most of the types of edible vegetation were now extinct. Something
new was to happen, for God now
gave the meat of animals to humanity as “food for you.” Just as He had
previously given them the “green plant,” which is to say the
edible vegetation of this
world for food, He now gave us the life of “every moving thing,” with certain
restrictions.
Verse 4. “Only you shall not eat flesh
with its life, that is, its blood.”
God intends for us to value life of all kinds. As we saw
in Verse 2, God placed a “fear,” an actual “terror” of humanity into the animal
kingdom. A very real reason why that was done is to protect them from us.
Someone who kills another human being and has no feelings about what they have
done is called a “sociopath” or “psychopath” by those in the profession of
psychiatry. Society has great concern about such a person. Something is wrong with those who lack compassion and society must be
protected from them. And by the way, this verse definitely prohibits the
terrible idea of eating a portion of an animal while it is still alive.
The Law teaches that "the life of the flesh is in the
blood" (Leviticus 17:14), which looks ahead to "Jesus
Christ... who loved us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5).
It is interesting, by the way, that so many people simply do not care
about animals at all. Oh yes, a special “pet” or one that is "cute" is valued, but the very same
people will eat a hamburger for lunch and some kind of meat for dinner, with
absolutely no thought that one of God’s creatures had to die in order for them
and others
in humanity to live another day. Yes, the eating of meat is permitted, but these
are living beings that give their lives so that we might
continue living. God does not prohibit the eating of them; but He does intend
that we will care.
Verse 5. “Surely I will require your
lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every
man's brother I will require the life of man.”
Have you noticed that if an animal attacks and/or kills
a human being, the animal will be tracked down and killed? The idea is to
protect innocent human beings from further attack. It is thought that humanity is
protecting itself through such actions, but the reality is that it is God who is
reaching through our actions and protecting us, for He “will require your lifeblood from every beast.” God has
placed a “fear” of mankind into the animal kingdom
(Verse 2), and if that protective
mechanism fails because of the disease called “rabies” or some other factor, it
is our Creator who has ordained that the animal will be stopped from committing further
harm.
The other part of this verse involves the negative
action of the sudden death of a human being. Included is the act we
call “murder,” but since God’s wording here is not specific as to whether or not this
is limited to premeditated acts, it seems likely that even the accidental killing of
another human being is actionable in the sight of God. “Accidental,” of course,
would include those careless acts that result in death. The reason human
governments “require the life of a man” is because God intends it
for those who are actually guilty of the charges against them. Like
the crazed animal, a murderous man or woman must be stopped in some manner from causing
further harm.
Father, help us in humanity to be responsible in our
governing of this earth. Let us look to You in all that we do, and help us
to truly care for others, not only for people, but also to care for those in
what is called "nature." Let us respond to the leading of Your Spirit and to
Your love, in all that we do. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 9:6-11
Verse 6. “Whoever sheds man's blood, by
man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
When you drink from a teacup, a coffee mug or some
other kind of container, you expect that the drinking vessel will be clean
and that the liquid you want will be in that container. Those in humanity who
trust in the Lord are compared to such drinking vessels in Scripture, which
speaks “of Christ who is the image of God,” and continues, “we have this
treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and
not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:4-7). We are made clean first inside and then
on the outside by the blood of Christ, allowing the “Treasure” of God Himself
to be poured into ordinary people like you and me. God wants us to be
filled with His Holy Spirit.
We always have been intended by the Lord to be made clean in such a
manner and then we can expect that the love and power of God will be poured into our
hearts. Our sin has previously made us
unfit to contain such a wondrous treasure and Jesus Christ cleanses those who
place their faith in Him. We are
restored in the sight of God to the extent that He looks at the “cup” of our
humanity and sees that we are clean in His Son. And with such an amazing “Treasure” given to
humanity, it is no wonder that God holds the one accountable who "sheds man's blood." “In the image of God He made man”
and He reasonably expects us to "love (our)
neighbor" (Leviticus 19:18).
Verse 7. “As for you, be fruitful and
multiply; populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”
Why was it necessary for God to reinforce these commands
for humanity to be “fruitful and multiply” (Verses 1 and 7) and not “shed… man’s
blood” (Verses 5 and 6)? Those commands had already been given to mankind at
least hundreds of years before the Great Flood. Why was it so critical to repeat
those words at the time of these verses? A hint is found in comparing these
words of God after the Flood with Genesis 6:5 which was before the Flood – “The
Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” What
“wickedness” and “evil” was this?
God could have expressed concern to Noah and his family
about any number of issues, but He chose to warn against the killing of people and
He encouraged us to
have children, suggesting that these commands had been widely broken before the Flood. We
know that Cain, son of Adam, was a murderer (Genesis 4) and so was Lamech, one
of his descendents (Genesis 5:23). Those incidents may just have been examples
of behavior that had become widespread. And when you compare the act of
murder to God’s concerns about having children, it may be that the pre-Flood
world had developed a technology sufficient for people to have abortions on
demand, much like in the world today.
Verses 8-9. “Then God spoke to Noah and
to his sons with him, saying, ‘Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant
with you, and with your descendants after you;”
A “covenant” is a contract, wherein something of value
is given in exchange for something else which also has value. Normally two
items of equal value would be exchanged, but with God, something (Someone) of
infinite value has been given in exchange for something that lost its value
altogether. The elements of a contract include an offer, an acceptance, and what
is called a “reasonable consideration.” Here in these verses, it is God who is
making the offer and it is expected that those in humanity will have the
intelligence, the faith to say, “Yes” to Him.
This is a great offer because God the Father offers us His
Son,
anticipating that we will, in turn, offer ourselves to Him. His offer is of
great value, whereas we have comparatively little worth. It’s a very good deal and we
should take Him up on it. The “reasonable consideration” that makes the
contract legal is the blood of Christ, which would be shed thousands of years in
the future from this verse. Leviticus 19:11 says that “it is the blood that
makes atonement for the soul.” Jesus “took the cup” after what is called the
Passover Meal or the Lord’s Supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in
My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The cup He held up
and then blessed was the "Cup of Salvation" given to humanity through His death
on the cross.
Verse 10. “and with every living
creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth
with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.”
Right from the beginning it was intended that mankind
would be the local management, the on-the-spot ruling species of this planet.
Created in the “likeness” of God, humanity was to “have dominion over the fish
of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth
and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).
The fact is that mankind could have successfully carried out this office through
the power of God, but we started doing things our way instead of trusting in Him. Our
insistence that we do it in our own strength instead of in His, has been the
great problem of humanity ever since
that time.
The “covenant” of God with man, seen in Verses 9, 11 and
12, and in many other places within Scripture, was given not only to humanity,
but also through us, to all the creatures of this earth. Our function is to
guide and direct the other races of earth which are called “creatures” or “animals,”
as stated in various places, such as in this verse. Even though we have chosen
instead to exploit those who are placed into our care; nevertheless the
responsibility is still ours to care for the animal kingdom and the resources
of this world. We are also to watch out for and "love"
one another (John 13:34-35).
Verse 11. “I establish My covenant with
you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood,
neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
These verses refer to the “covenant,” the contract that
God has made with mankind. All contracts must have a legal basis and as touched
on in the commentary on Verses 8-9, the legal basis of God’s “covenant” with
humanity is the “blood” of Jesus Christ, which He revealed “is shed for you”
(Luke 22:20). Each and every contract contains fine print, understood fully only
by the person who wrote it, and portions of the fine print in relation to
humanity, especially of interest to Noah and his family, were being revealed in
these verses.
This paragraph in the “fine print” of God’s contract
with humankind deals with their most compelling fear of that moment – “all flesh
shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood…” The climate changed
drastically after the Great Flood. Previously, the nest for humanity we call the
earth had been a gentle place, something like the Hawaiian Islands today, but at
the moment of this verse it had become something
like Central Canada. Every time the rain or snow started to fall, the fear would begin for the
survivors, except for the promise of God, as seen here. Our Lord wants to
not be afraid.
Father, change us, mold us, through the power and
love of God, expressed through Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for the sins of
all mankind since the beginning of time. Forgive us our sins, fill us with
Your Holy Spirit and give us the peace of God. Heal us of our fear. We love You, dear God, and
we thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 9:12-20
Verse 12. “God said, ‘This is the sign
of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature
that is with you, for all successive generations;’”
We sometimes need a “sign,” don’t we?
Just like Noah did at that moment. If we continually
ask God for help in the activity called “prayer” and He never seems to respond,
it can shake our faith. He does answer prayer, by the way, and He is willing to
give a "sign" in response to the prayer of faith. Sometimes, when we are
excessively afraid, God WANTS us to ask for a “sign.”
Later in time, King Ahaz’s country was
being threatened by foreign invaders and he was terrified. God told him, ask a
“sign,” but the king refused and so God gave him one anyway: “the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:1-4), a
name which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
The "virgin" did indeed "conceive
and bear a Son," an event that would occur hundreds of years after the
time of King Ahaz.
Notice that God knew the deep need of Noah and his
family, just as He knows YOUR need, right now. He went to their greatest fear
and gave them not only his promise (His word is good, by the way; it is
perfect), but as we
will see in the next verses, He will also give us outward proof that we do not
need to be afraid. Reach out to God. Pray in Jesus’ Name. Tell Him what is
troubling you. He already knows, but He loves you and likes it when you talk to
Him. He might, in fact, give you a “sign.”
The "covenant," the contract that God is speaking
about, by the way, is "for all successive generations."
His will is that we will trust in Him and not be afraid.
Verses 13-15. “I set My bow in the
cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It
shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen
in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and
every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a
flood to destroy all flesh.”
It’s hard for us to imagine a time, a people, who had
never seen a rainbow, this "bow" that God is
speaking about. It is a tendency among people to think that this planet,
this universe
has always been the same as it is now. But the world of Genesis One was a vastly
different place from the planetary conditions after the Great Flood. What had
previously been a greenhouse-like lush garden, was now largely a cold, muddy, frozen place.
There previously had been great land masses interspersed with shallow seas, but
now oceans ruled the planet.
Rains, if they happened at all, were rare. It is very possible that no "cloud" was in the sky of the pre-Flood world.
Before the time of the Great Flood, “The Lord God had not caused it to
rain on the earth… but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face
of the ground” (Genesis 2:5-6). The environment was like NOTHING that is seen
today and it caused the whole earth to be pleasantly warm and humid. Everything
after the Flood was now
both new
and threatening to Noah and his family. Whenever we see God’s “bow in the cloud”
we should relax in the knowledge that God sees our needs and He intends, just
like He did with Noah, to give us His peace.
Verses 16-17. “When the bow is in the
cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between
God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to
Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and
all flesh that is on the earth.”
God never forgets. He remembers everything. It’s those
in humanity who forget and we are actually fearful little creatures who need to be
constantly reminded that God is in our midst and He loves us. The reason He
tells us that He “will look upon it to remember” is so
WE won’t be frightened
every time it rains. His intention is that we will find and know safety in Him. In a
similar manner, we have been given the cross of Christ as a sign that God’s
“everlasting covenant” is with all who trust in
Him.
And if humanity accepts what God offers, then
“every living creature of all flesh…” will benefit greatly from the wonder of
His love. As Scripture says about the day when all mankind is to be united in His
great love, “Before they call, I (God)
will answer; and while they are still
speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion will
eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt
nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord.” This whole world will know
the "everlasting covenant," the peace of God.
Verses 18-19. “Now the sons of Noah who
came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham was the father of
Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was
populated.”
It has been difficult for many to accept that all the
varied people of the “whole earth” came from the men named in this verse and
their wives. For some reason, it’s more of a problem for many than to believe
that everyone came from just two – Adam & Eve. To most, the differences in
humanity seem so PRONOUNCED, and yet, these so-called “differences” are really
very superficial. When we start counting, we discover that most of us are born
with the same number of fingers, toes, noses and ears and internal organs as everybody else.
We are remarkably alike for we are one people.
The process of birth is essentially the same for us all;
we breathe, we need to eat and so on. The three sons, “Shem and Ham and
Japheth,” were brothers from the one father and as the context would
indicate, one mother. No
mention is made of their physical appearances or what their wives looked like.
But if you choose to accept the Biblical account that "from these the whole
earth was populated," you then will conclude that
the genetic potential for what humanity is today, existed completely in those eight people.
And note again that our present so-called “differences” are very small indeed.
Verse 20. “Then Noah began farming and
planted a vineyard.”
It is unclear as to exactly where Noah and the others
were at the moment of this verse. They likely were no longer on “the mountains of
Ararat” where “the ark (had) rested,” as we saw in Genesis 8:4.
Time had passed. When “God spoke to
Noah” and said, “Go out of the ark…” (Genesis 8:16), all of them did go out into
a very changed, uncertain world. It is likely that all of them began to descend from the
mountain as fast as they could because 1) the excess waters were almost gone
from the earth, and 2) the higher in elevation they were, the colder it would
be. The top of the “the mountains of
Ararat” would have been cold to an extent they had never known before.
The fact is, at the moment of this verse they had gone
to a place
that was sufficiently warm and had ample good soil to plant and harvest crops.
If there had been something like supermarkets before the Great Flood, such
places were all gone at the moment of this verse. Noah had to do something
because whatever had been left from the food supply on the ark, it was running
out.
He looked at the seeds they had brought with them and there being no alternative, he
decided to become a farmer. That decision made, among other crops he “planted a vineyard,” and no
doubt the others were involved in planting wheat and other produce that would at least partly
sustain them in upcoming years.
Lord, You have made provision for us and we thank
You. You have provided not only for our physical needs, but even more
wonderful, our deeper, spiritual need is met in Christ Jesus. Thank You
that You love us so. We confess our sins and trust in You now.
Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us Your peace. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 9:21-25
Verse 21. “He drank of the wine and
became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.”
It’s obvious that considerable time had passed between
many of these verses. In the verse before this, Noah “planted a vineyard.” At
least months later we find this verse, in which Noah “drank of the wine and
became drunk.” Between the two verses, the seeds and/or seedlings they brought
with them on the ark had grown, budded and the resulting fruit had progressed to
maturity. The grapes were harvested, crushed and the process of fermentation was
now complete. Other crops must have been planted also, but God wanted us to know
about this crop in relation to Noah’s next act, which is described as his choice to become
intoxicated.
Noah “became drunk.” Some writers have tried to explain
this away, stating that somehow grapes did not become fermented before the
Flood, continuing that the “innocent” Noah did not know what he was doing.
However, the most
likely explanation of this verse is that Noah knew exactly what he was doing. He had
looked at the ruined, muddy, desolate world around him, thought about the millions
of deaths that had occurred because of the raging waters of that Flood, felt
something like “survivor guilt” in relation to his continued life, and
“became drunk.” In other words, Noah was indeed a man of faith in God, but he
was also a man, subject to human frailties like everybody else.
Verse 22. “Ham, the father of Canaan,
saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.”
“Ham,” who was the son, the youngest son of Noah as it
says in Verse 24, and the “father of Canaan,” Noah’s grandson, went inside his
Dad’s tent, saw that his father was in a drunken stupor, and then went outside,
telling “his two brothers” what he had seen. This was the kind of “telling” that
was done with a smirk. Noah was considerably older than anyone else in the world
at that moment, and he was literally the patriarch of not only them, but also of
you and me. And all
of them who were alive at the moment knew that “Noah was a just man, perfect” in his ways (Genesis 6:9).
The present situation would have seemed very funny,
ironic actually, to Ham, Noah’s son. What Ham did not understand was that
God's acceptance of Noah was not based upon the man’s outward perfection, but it
was instead found in God’s "grace,” His unmerited favor (Genesis 6:8). And so Ham
smirked at “the nakedness of his father,” and went outside, intending to make
fun of the old man; essentially tattling to his brothers about what he had seen.
But as we will see in the next verses, the situation did not go as he had
planned. Instead of embarrassing his father, he brought trouble on himself.
Verse 23. “But Shem and Japheth took a
garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered
the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they
did not see their father's nakedness.”
The response of Ham's brothers, “Shem and Japheth,” is the opposite of
what it would be for most people in the world. Ham had been amused by his father, Noah’s
lapse in behavior and then he chose to gossip, to make fun of what he had seen to
anyone who would listen. Actually no one responded in the way he wanted them to, and he
would now have felt shame at what he had done. Notice the response of “Shem and
Japheth,” Ham’s older brothers.
They “covered the nakedness of their father” and “their
faces were turned away.” The two older sons chose to “not see their father’s
nakedness.” If you have the opportunity to see and gloat over someone’s mistake
– don’t! if your computer gives you the ability to see pornography – don’t look
at it! As it says in Philippians 4:8, “…whatever things are true…
noble… just…
pure… lovely…
of good report… virtue, and praiseworthy – meditate on these
things.” And it continues in Philippians 4:9, that if you look for the good in
life and in people, then “the God of peace will be with you.”
Verse 24. “When Noah awoke from his
wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.”
When Ham is mentioned in relation to his brothers, the
order is often given as “Shem, Ham and Japheth,” in such places as Genesis 7:13.
It sounds like Ham is the middle child in the family. But here it is revealed
that Ham is actually the “youngest son” of the three. The way they are listed is
not their birth order; it is simply the way they have been referred to by those
who have written about them. And when you think about it, Ham does have the
personality characteristics sometimes found in a “youngest son.”
He was immature.
If you treat others with scorn, humiliating statements
and laughter, that aspect of your personality will be seen by God and He will
reveal your immaturity to those around you. It isn’t clear from this verse whether Noah
learned of Ham’s action from his other sons or directly from the Lord; perhaps
from both. It doesn’t matter because the lesson here is that if we enjoy the
humiliation of others, then trouble will come to us, until we finally learn to
comfort others instead of laughing at them.
Verse 25. “So he said, ‘Cursed be
Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers.’”
Noah’s response to his son, Ham’s action in causing
embarrassment to his father, seems strange to us. From the text it would appear
at first glance that Noah simply placed some kind of curse on his grandson,
“Canaan,” Ham’s son, for something Ham had done. But there’s more here than
that. Ham embarrassed his father. Yes, Noah did it to himself by choosing to
become “drunk” (Verse 21), but Ham made things much worse by making fun of his
father's mistake. Noah’s response was essentially this: “I hope your son
embarrasses you much like you have humiliated me!”
And note that our actions do “infect” our children in a
variety of ways. An abusing parent creates abusive children. The alcoholic
father will have little ones who likely will become alcoholic personalities
themselves. As Scripture says in several places, for example in Numbers 14:18 -
“the iniquity of the fathers (shall be)
on the children to the third and fourth
generation.” Actually it’s worse than just trouble that passes to our
great-great grandchildren. Our bad attitudes continue for centuries and may
never end until the Lord returns to deliver us all. Good attitudes are similar,
for perhaps your unexpected smile when you could have frowned, will be passed on
to others for a long, long time.
Father, we are all sinners who have come short of the
glory of God. Only You can help us. We confess our gossip, the
ridicule of others that we have indulged in the past, and our lack of forgiveness.
Please forgive us for the harm we have brought to others. Heal our hearts
and heal those we have harmed. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Friday Study 3/27/09 - Genesis 9:26-29
Verse 26. “He also said, ‘Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.”
This verse has been understood by those who have read it in more than one way.
It’s possible to decide, as many have done, that Noah, the speaker in this
verse, is merely blessing his son, Shem, and was also dooming his grandson, Canaan,
and his progeny to a life of servility to other people. But there is more here
than merely Noah’s angry response, although he certainly was upset at the moment. The Lord, through Noah, could see the
personality tendencies that would exist in the families and countries that would
emerge from these three younger men and their wives, from that moment until the end of time.
The "iniquity of the fathers" really does pass to
the "third and fourth generation" and beyond
(Exodus 34:7 and other places).
In these verses, there is a subtle blessing that we all
need to hear about. Noah is actually praying, “Let Canaan be (the) servant of
the God of Shem.” In other words, it appears that Shem had discovered the wonder
of a personal relationship with the Lord, and in the slow, clumsy way we all
grow in His love, he was learning to live that life, in spirit, thought and in
action. Noah, in the power of God, saw the danger in Ham’s bad attitude,
recognizing the younger men’s need for the Lord. He was praying that Ham,
Canaan, and all their descendents would come to know the Lord in a personal,
vital way, described as becoming His "servant."
Verse 27. “May God enlarge Japheth, and
let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.”
When we look to the power, the leading of God in our
prayers, we sometimes find something unusual occurring. It should happen all the
time, but for most, it is a rare, but precious time when God actually takes over
our prayers and makes them His own. Noah’s anger at what he considered the
betrayal of his youngest son, Ham, led him into prophetic prayer, which, if we
did the same, would
remarkably improve our prayer life as well. And it is suggested that if you find yourself overcome with
white-hot anger, lapse into prayer as Noah did, instead of responding with bad actions and
unforgiveable words.
Noah now found himself no longer merely angry at his
son, but instead drifting into prayer and then he began to prophesy as the Lord
led him. God was
leading the man to express something of the outcome of the descendents of his sons,
in the centuries, the millennia that would follow. "Japheth," who is considered
the “father,” the progenitor of the so-called “Caucasian” peoples of this world,
was, for many centuries in the future to “dwell in the tents of Shem,” a group
who would predominately reside in Asia. And that was to be true – those of
Europe did ultimately control the people of he Eastern world for many centuries.
And those specifically descended from Canaan, who would reside in the areas of present-day Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, would be dominated for a long time by the
descendants of Japheth.
Verses 28-29. “Noah lived three hundred
and fifty years after the flood. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and
fifty years, and he died.”
Noah was approximately “five hundred years old” when God
began to speak to the man about the Great Flood which was to come upon the
world. At about the same time, Noah became, late in life, the father of his three
sons, “Shem, Ham and Japheth,” which you can read about in Genesis 5:32 and the
verses that follow into Chapter 6. The ark they were to create was a massive project that took
a great amount of time to build, and then came the Flood, which was on the earth for about a year.
Noah was likely the last person to live nearly 1000 years, though his wife may have
survived that long also.
If you accept the great ages that people lived to before
the Flood came and changed everything, then Noah was by far the oldest man on earth after
the waters receded. Noah would have been thought of as “ancient” by everyone
else in humanity. He kept on living for “three hundred and fifty years after the
flood,” as an eye witness of the truth of the events in history that had
occurred up to that time. But then “he died,” and it gradually became easier for
the people of earth to deny historical events like the Creation account in the
Bible and the subsequent Great Flood that followed; until finally we reach a time like
today, when most choose to not believe.
Lord, we choose to believe in You. Please
forgive us for whatever angry outbursts we have directed at others and for our
many lapses in those times when we have failed to look to You. Please
speak to us, in and through Your Word, our prayers, and in the very fabric of
our lives. We praise Your Holy Name, Lord. We trust in You now.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
